Three schools, 12 students win cash prizes
By L.J. Gambone
Apple Valley Review
Keeping the High Desert clean and green long into the future all starts with educating children, according to Joseph Moon, environmental and transit services manager for the Town of Apple Valley.
To that end, the Town of Apple Valley and High Desert-based Burrtec Waste Industries, Inc. teamed up a few years ago and developed the Greener Way of Life Competition for students in the Apple Valley Unified School District.
This year’s contest, which began in March, offered both schools and youngsters the chance to vie for cash prizes in categories such as poster making, sculpture design and newspaper collection, to name a few. The event concluded with an awards ceremony on May 26 where three schools and 12 students took home prizes.
“It was very difficult to judge the poster and sculpting contests because so many talented and creative kids participated,” said Moon, who reports that 524 posters and 14 sculptures were submitted to the competition. “The winner of this year’s sculpture contest made a dragon out of egg cartons. That was pretty imaginative.”
According to Moon, the Greener Way of Life Competition kicks off every year at each participating school with an assembly featuring “The Magic of Recycling” show. A professional magician and his staff of on-stage assistants utilize amazing magic tricks to illustrate the importance of recycling, Moon said.
“The magic show really gets the kids excited about recycling,” said Moon. “They really light up watching all the tricks, which makes this the perfect way to kick off the contest every year.”
Every school within the town limits of Apple Valley is eligible to participate in the Greener Way of Live Competition, Moon said. The judging panel is comprised of representatives from the Town of Apple Valley and Burrtec, as well as elected officials.
Points are awarded in each category and the three schools with the most points are awarded cash prizes ranging from $250 to $1,000. Cash awards ranging from $50 to $100 are given to first-, second- and third-place student winners.
Along with making a poster or creating a sculpture, points can be earned by recycling using blue containers, participating in a classroom recycling presentation, joining in on Apple Valley’s Community Cleanup Day and creating a recycling plan for your school campus. Additionally, students can tour the Victor Valley Materials Recovery Facility and also attend the Center’s Earth Day Open House, which was held this year on May 2.
Moon said bonus points also can be earned in the Greener Way of Life Competition by holding a recycling fashion show or play, announcing recycling collection drives over the school intercom, making banners to advertise your school’s recycling program and dreaming up any other creative and innovative recycling activity.
“You really have to start with the children to see lasting change and this program goes a long way toward that,” said Moon. “Not only are the kids very proactive with recycling but they are also taking what they learn in school and teaching their parents and other family members.
“We know what we’re doing is working because we definitely continue to see an increase in recycling activity throughout the community.”